oopsie, need help

[dohcfiend]

i was doing an alt swap when i let the fram down alittle too far and the steering came undone.

how exactly or what should i do to re-align the steering rack back to the wheels? right now the steering wheel just free-wheels.

[napatiger]

I used had to use a bottle jack to raise one side a little more than the other.
set wheels strait and then the steering wheel strait.
May help to put a little grease on there....
Sure is a bitch though. If you get too frustrated, have a beer and get at it tomorrow.

[patgizz]

sounds like you pulled the collapsible shaft apart. gotta get that rubber boot up between the rack and firewall and see what exactly happened. if you popped the shaft apart you'll probably have to pull the column and pull the lower half of the shaft off the rack and reassemble them.

[napatiger]

Ohhh, maybe it came apart at the joint with the bolt, which is pretty easy and a regular operation when lowering the engine, but if he did not loosen the bolt, I don't know where it would have broke...

[3100 MPFI]

If it did what I think it did, just start raising the subframe up. It will only go back together one way.

Mine had a clip in it that when it seperated, it went flying, and I never saw it again. Even after I put it back togther, I did not need it. It was there just to keep it from seperating if you pull it apart the normal way (loosen the bolt).

Just lift up the frame slowly, and look at how it goes togther. They will like slide into each other.

also, you have to push the boot as far back as you can. On my 1988 Cutlass, it is a 2 piece boot, so it can just be pushed into the interior area of the car to make it easier to see what you are doing. After it is reconnected, you just pull it back down.

[dohcfiend]

i got it thanx for the help.